Water

The magazine Fast Company has a list in their July issue of fast cities around the globe. "We scoured the globe in search of placed that best embody economic innovation and opportunity. We found creative-class meccas, R&D hot spots, even cities so fast they're scary. Is your hometown on the list?" says the table of contents page. Unfortunately for the people of Nevada the magazine hits the nail on the head in calling Las Vegas a too fast city and suggests that Vegas is "An environmental pileup in the making. Can the casinos find enough water to fill all those pools?"

In his second week in office Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons is sticking his foot in it. Today's Review Journal has this funny article. Or it would be funny if it was in Mad Magazine. Alas it is for real and run in a would-be newspaper.

The basic points are that Gibbons thinks the state can pay for it's highways by selling the water rights under the existing highways. We do understand that as a long-time friend of the mining industry Gibbons might think water rights are somehow similar to mineral rights. Even then, however, one would think he would know that the ownership of underground minerals doesn't go with the surface rights. Then again none of this matters. Read more about Open mouth insert foot...

In today's Review Journal John L. Smith has a piece on the Sandy Valley water victory in the Nevada Supreme Court. His piece focuses on the Sandy Valley case and doesn't touch on the inclusion of anit-speculation doctrine in the case's reasoning.

The Nevada Supreme Court published their opinion in Bacher v. State Engineer on Wednesday. The case speaks to several critical areas of Nevada water law and incorporates the "anti-speculation doctrine" in interpretation of Nevada water law.

The court also gave indications of a number of items around beneficial use like the following footnote:

Some projects, including the theme park, had contingencies attached to them. In other words, the projects may be speculative in nature. Although we do not reach whether contingent projects may be considered in evaluating a need for water under NRS 533.370(6) because we conclude that the State Engineer abused his discretion on other grounds, we note that speculative evidence of development projects is not sufficient to survive a substantial evidence inquiry on review.

The Clark County Commission, Las Vegas Valley Water Authority, Clark County Water Reclamation District and the Big Bend Water District are set to vote today on resolutions to support the Southern Nevada Water Authority's plan to sink $2 billion into a system of pipelines purported to meet Las Vegas' water needs.

At hearings yesterday the several local groups and rural residents spoke against the proposition. "There is not enough research to support what they are trying to do," Ann Brauer, chairperson of the Indian Springs Town Board told the hearing.

Earlier this month Las Vegas councilman Gary Reese was the lone "no" vote when the Las Vegas council voted to support the water grab.

None of the political entities in or around Las Vegas has yet explained what they will do after this water grab fails to supply the needs of the valley. At some point perhaps they will begin to consider the necessary limits on growth the the middle of the desert.

A Las Vegas development company, JV Properties, LLC, made application to the state of Nevada for 3620 acre feet of water a year in Sandy Valley. JV Properties, LLC has been involved in developing several properties in Clark County including the Mountain's Edge community in the vicinity of Blue Diamond and Buffalo in Las Vegas.

Read more for the complete application.

APPLICATION TO APPRORIATE WATER NO. 72909 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that on the 7th day of June 2005 JV Properties, LLC of Las Vegas, Nevada made application to the State Engineer of Nevada for permission to appropriate 5.0 c.f.s. of the public waters of the State of Nevada. Diversion is to be made from an underground source at a point located within the NW 1/4 NE 1/4 Section 14, T25S, R57E, MDM or at a point from which the SW corner of said Section 14 bears S 30Â° 53' W, a distance of 5616 feet (approx. 3 1/2 miles SE of Sandy, NV). Water will be used for municipal purposes from January 1st to December 31st of each year. Hugh Ricci, P.E. State Engineer PUB: Aug. 11,18,25 Sept. 1, 2005 LV Review-Journal